


When I Turn out The Light

by zubeneschamali



Series: Finding the Light [2]
Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, M/M, prince!Jared, soldier!Jensen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:41:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22976335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zubeneschamali/pseuds/zubeneschamali
Summary: Sequel to Try to Find a Light on Somewhere. The morning after, Jensen and Jared still have to safely get out of the kingdom while trying to deal with what's happened between them.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki
Series: Finding the Light [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1651156
Comments: 33
Kudos: 172





	When I Turn out The Light

**Author's Note:**

> Oh look, another one-off became a 'verse. I'm shocked by this unforeseen turn of events. Continuing the KT Tunstall theme, this title is from "Under the Weather." Written for SMPC.

The first rays of dawn were sneaking into the cave when Jensen gently shook Jared awake. "My lord," he murmured.

Jared was curled up against Jensen under his cloak, legs draped over Jensen's and arms around Jensen's waist. He sniffled against Jensen's chest before raising his head.

When their eyes met, there was a startled flash of recognition in Jared's, maybe the memory of what they'd done the night before. Jensen held still and let him look, trying not to give anything away of his own thoughts, tangled as they were.

After a moment, Jared drew back and scrubbed his hands over his face. When he looked up again, he was clear-eyed and calm, the very picture of a prince. If one ignored his ruffled hair and clothing, that was. He asked quietly, "Are we going to leave now?"

"I need to check outside," Jensen said just as softly. "If it's clear, then yes, we do. It will take most of the day to get to the border with Cortesia on foot, longer since we can't use the main roads."

"All right." Jared's stomach rumbled, and he put his hand over it. "I'll wait here."

Jensen wanted to be reassuring, wanted to remind the prince that he was going to protect him from whatever the day might bring. But he also didn't want to make false promises, especially after last night. So he only gave Jared a wan smile and turned to creep out of the cave.

Outside, the sun was rising over the hills behind them, filtering through the thick evergreens around them. Birds were chirping, rabbits and squirrels were rustling through the undergrowth. Jensen listened for a long moment, but heard no signs of human life.

He walked farther from their camp and completed a half-circle around the rocky hillside. There were no sounds of horses, no smells of campfires or soldiers. Finally, he satisfied himself they were alone and went back to the cave to get Jared.

They walked for hours, following the same track they had the previous day. It was too narrow for horses, but too wide to be an animal trail. Jensen was leery of passing through any settlement, no matter how small, so when a cottage or cabin became visible in the distance, he led them around it. Jared wasn't completely silent on the forest floor, but he was quiet enough, and his dark brown cape did a decent job of camouflaging him. 

Near midday, they happened across a bush covered in bright blue berries. They fell on them together, plucking and eating handful after handful. Jared's lips turned purple, and from the way he pointed at Jensen, the same was true of him.

He briefly considered trying to kiss the stain from Jared's lips before firmly telling himself to just keep moving. Their encounter in the cave had been the product of a very difficult day and Jared's need to sleep, nothing more. And if Jared had noticed Jensen eyeing him from time, that just meant Jensen was going to have to be more professional. It wasn't only his life and Jared's at stake right now, it was the rightful succession of the throne. The whole kingdom was depending on Jensen to keep Jared safe, not to get into his breeches again.

The sun was three-quarters of the way across the sky when they first heard the rushing of a river in the distance. "Is that the White River?" Jared asked.

Jensen nodded. "Cortesia's on the other side."

"How wide is it?"

"Probably too deep to wade. And cold as fuck coming down from the mountains."

"So we'll have to find a bridge."

"The King's Road is close by, I think. But Lehne will have men guarding it. He knows there's only so many places you can go, and only so many routes you can take to get there. Cortesia is a solid ally of yours, but the river makes a formidable barrier. The bridges will be guarded well."

"Then we'll have to swim." Jared set his jaw. 

Jensen looked at him dubiously. They both knew how—it was part of basic training for the King's Guard, and Jared had learned as a child on one of the royal family's summer trips to the sea. That didn't mean Jared was a strong swimmer, and the current would likely be swift.

Jensen was about to protest when he heard a noise. The evergreens thinned out close to the river, and so he could see off in the distance that three horses were passing through the trees.

Their riders wore the same red uniform as Jensen.

He grabbed Jared's wrist and pulled him close enough to whisper in his ear while keeping an eye on the horsemen. "You have to cross the river. The bridge is downstream; the Cortesians will have a guard station there, and they'll take you in. Get to the capital as soon as you can to plead your case with the king."

"What about you?" Jared whispered back.

"I'll hold them off."

Jared drew back, his expression stricken. "Jensen—"

"You have to cross that river, my prince. That's all that matters." Jensen glanced at the horsemen. They hadn't seen the two of them yet, but they'd surely see Jared crossing the river, given how open the bank was, and then they'd be on their way. "Stick to the trees as long as you can."

Jared looked terrified, and for a moment, Jensen thought he was going to refuse. But when he leaned forward and gave Jensen a hard, swift kiss before moving away along the edge of the trees, Jensen understood.

His gut twisted, but he drew his sword and turned towards the horsemen as he edged after Jared. Maybe they would be lucky and not be seen after all.

Jared eased his way into the river, Jensen keeping an eye on him and the Guards at the same time. It looked to be no deeper than his waist, and Jensen knew the water had to be damn cold, but he was wading through it without flinching. Jensen felt a sudden, fierce stab of pride in his prince, thrown into this terrible situation but facing it down as though he was born to it.

Of course, that was when he heard a shout.

Jared was almost to the far bank, and he only glanced over his shoulder once before increasing his pace. He stumbled onto the bank and took off at a run, long legs flashing as he headed downstream.

Jensen turned away, grimly satisfied. He'd done his job. He'd gotten the prince out of the kingdom safely. 

The two horses bearing down on him, both riders with drawn swords, made it unlikely that he was going to be able to follow.

Still, Jensen fought with everything that he had. He stood his ground as the first horse came charging at him, dodging to the side at the last minute and parrying the sword thrust down at him. The second rider was right behind, and Jensen managed to score a hit on that rider's leg that had him bellowing in pain.

But then the first horse was back, charging towards him again. Jensen ran for the trees, hoping to slow the horses down. He heard a sharp whinny and instinctively dove to the ground as the horse thundered by. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up, but he also didn't know how far Jared had to go to reach the Cortesian guardhouse. The more time he bought him, the better.

He worked his way closer to the river, dodging charges as they came. The first rider scored a hit on his left shoulder that stung a bit, and then Jensen managed to knock the second rider off of his saddle. He crashed to the ground and went still.

_One down_ , Jensen thought viciously. 

On the next pass, he wasn't so lucky. The horse's hoof caught him in the hip, sending him stumbling back to land on his ass at the very edge of the river. His sword went flying out of his hand as he hit the ground, vanishing beneath the rushing water.

A moment later, there was a heavy boot on his chest.

Jensen looked up to see the Guard looming over him. "Pellegrino," he snarled, struggling to sit up.

When Pellegrino lowered his sword so the tip was resting at the hollow of Jensen's throat, Jensen froze. 

"We should have killed you first," Pellegrino said. "We knew you wouldn't go along with it. Not the way you always eyed Prince Jared like you wanted to drop to your knees for him." He smirked. "Has he let you yet?"

"You shut up," Jensen snarled, glaring up the length of the sword at him. "You can't touch him now. He's safe from you and the rest of the traitors."

"Well, we'll see about that." His smirk deepened. "Too bad the same can't be said for you."

He drew his sword back, ready to drive it in. With his weight on Jensen, there was nowhere Jensen could go, and he couldn't reach the knife in his boot. Jensen closed his eyes and held on to the memory of Jared crossing the river and running down the bank. At least he'd done that much. 

At least Jared was safe.

He heard a whooshing sound and braced himself, stupid as it was, for the blow.

A second later, the heavy weight left his chest, and there was a resounding thump next to him.

Confused, Jensen opened his eyes to see Pellegrino flat on his back, arms outflung, a green-fletched arrow protruding from his throat.

"Jensen!"

He rolled to his side. Across the river, Jared was standing with a bow in his hand, already notching another arrow. Beside him, a young Cortesian soldier in his green uniform was straining to see into the trees behind Jensen. "Hurry," he called between his cupped hands. "They've reinforcements coming."

Jensen didn't need to be told twice. The third horseman had apparently headed for the main road when they'd spotted Jensen to get more men. He scrambled to his feet, stopping only to pick up Pellegrino's sword and sheath it before wading into the river.

The cold took his breath away, but he focused on Jared, waiting on the other side for him. The prince still had an arrow notched, his aim over Jensen's head, his arms strong and steady. Jensen could hear distant hoofbeats, and he doubled his pace, straining against the current to make it to the other side.

He stumbled onto the bank and towards Jared, and only then did the prince lower his bow. Jared didn't say a word, only wrapped Jensen up in the tightest embrace he'd ever felt, arms warm around him and cheek pressed to his.

"We should go, Your Highness," the soldier said. "It might be against treaty for them to follow you across, but that doesn't mean they won't anyway."

"We have to wait for them to see me," Jared insisted. "If all they find is the arrow in the dead man, they'll say it was your people that shot him. They can use that as a pretext to invade."

"Jared, if they cared about following the rule of law, they wouldn't have murdered Regent Morgan." Jensen took a hold of Jared's elbow. "We need to leave."

"Not yet." Jared stared across the river, bow half-raised. When he spotted three horsemen charging out of the trees, he notched his arrow again. A second later, he let it fly.

The arrow thunked against the chestplate of one of the riders, and they all drew up sharply. Jared waited a moment longer as if to be sure that they saw him before handing the bow back to the Cortesian. "Thank you, Sir Jacob."

"It's just Jake," the man replied, slinging the bow onto his back.

"Now can we go?" Jensen asked.

It took the better part of an hour to walk first to the main road, then to an inn a short distance away from the border. Two other soldiers met them at the road and escorted them on horseback to the inn, where they briefly conferred with the innkeeper while Jared and Jensen waited by the fire. 

Jensen watched warily, ready to grab Jared and leave. He was freezing cold from crossing the river, and he knew Jared must be the same. It would be dark soon, and wearing wet clothing overnight outside was a dangerous idea, but he would do it if there was a greater threat to them here with these foreign soldiers.

"It's all right." Jared put a hand on his shoulder. "Jake told me earlier. They knew something had happened when our soldiers started to patrol the road near the border, as if waiting for someone to flee. When I came upon them from their side of the river and explained what Lehne had done, they were somehow not surprised." He paused for a moment, an expression Jensen couldn't read flickering across his face. Then he went on, "They said they would help me and that they would send a messenger to their King. In the meantime, they said they would take care of us here."

"Why is it taking so long?" Jensen muttered.

Just then, the innkeeper motioned for them to come over. He was a short man with hair between blond and brown, his eyes a very light brown and a jovial expression on his face. "Pleasure to meet you, sirs. My name is Richard, and this is my inn."

"We're grateful for your hospitality," Jared said. "I'm—"

Richard raised a hand to cut him off. "A traveler in need of a room and a hot meal, or so I've been told." He looked them over more closely. "And in need of some dry clothing. Probably in a better color than that."

Jared looked down indignantly at his dirty but still bright red cape. Jensen watched as he started to say something but then caught himself after glancing at the green uniforms of the soldiers. Jared drew himself up and said only, "That would be appreciated, good sir."

Jensen leaned closer to the bar. "We have sufficient coin with us. We are not asking for charity."

Richard lowered his voice in response, his expression turning serious. "Consider it a gift from the people of Cortesia. We have no interest in anyone but the rightful ruler being on the throne of our neighbor."

Jensen drew back, glancing at Jared to see a thoughtful expression on his face. "We thank you," Jared said with a nod.

It sounded like the royal "we," and a shiver went down Jensen's spine as he heard it.

They were shown to a room overlooking the road, which Jensen greatly appreciated. He didn't think Lehne would send men this far across the border after them, but he felt much better having a clear line of sight.

There were two narrow beds beneath the windows, and the chimney from the fireplace below ran up one wall. It was warm and cozy, and Jensen felt himself start to shiver as his body tried to warm itself. 

Richard brought up two sets of clothing that looked like Cortesian uniforms. "Not sure even this one will fit you," he said to Jared, holding up one of the pairs of pants. "But it's the biggest they could find at the guardhouse."

"We're grateful for it," Jared said. "Seriously, we are in your debt."

Richard's eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "I'll remember that," he said with a wink.

When he was gone, they both stripped off their wet clothing and used a cloth Richard had brought to dry themselves the rest of the way. Jensen was reaching for the shorter pair of green breeches when Jared's hand on his arm stopped him. "We would grow warm sooner if we shared a bed like this, would we not?" the prince asked in a low voice.

Jensen swallowed hard. He hadn't even looked at Jared, he was so cold. Now, feeling the heat of Jared's body behind him, he felt a deep shiver run over him, and then another.

"By the gods, Jensen, you're freezing!" Jared tugged on his arm and all but dragged him to the bed closest to the chimney. He pulled the thick quilt over them both and wrapped himself around Jensen like another blanket. 

For a long moment, Jensen couldn't stop shivering. It was as though his body hadn't even realized it was cold until warmth was at hand, and now it was hitting him all at once. Jared held him even closer, arms tight around his torso and legs intertwined with his. He closed his eyes and concentrated on Jared's warmth, keeping his cold hands away from Jared's skin as he curled his arms between their bodies.

Eventually, his shivers quieted down. He realized that Jared had been murmuring in his ear, and he tried to concentrate on the words. Just then, though, Jared pulled back and looked him in the eye. "You're warming up."

"I think so, yes."

"Good." Jared cupped the side of his face in one of his huge hands. "I was worried about you."

"I'm fine." Jensen tried to break free of Jared's grip. He was the one who was supposed to be taking care of his prince, not the other way around.

"Your hands are still cold."

He frowned. "How did you know that?"

"Because you aren't touching me. I appreciate the gesture, but you need to warm up."

Hesitantly, Jensen uncurled his arms until one hand was resting against Jared's chest. The prince's eyes went wide, and a strangled sound escaped his throat. But to his credit, he didn't say anything, only tugged at Jensen's other hand until it was against his chest as well.

Jensen shuddered again with the warmth coursing through his hands. "I'm sorry," he murmured, trying to draw back.

"It's all right, Jensen. You wouldn't make a very good guard if your fingers were frostbitten, now would you?" Jared smiled as he spoke, taking the sting out of the words.

"H-how are you not cold as well? You forded the same river."

"It was only my legs that got wet, and I ran quickly enough to the Cortesian guardhouse and back that my clothing mostly dried." Jared took Jensen's hands and folded them between both of his. "I am sorry for not realizing you were near frozen sooner."

"It's not your job to take care of me," Jensen muttered.

Jared gave him a sad smile. "The most important part of my duties as king would be to ensure that my people are safe. You're the only member of my kingdom I _can_ take care of right now. Please, let me do that."

Jensen nodded, his heart aching for Jared. "All right."

"Good." Jared tucked Jensen's head under his chin and held him closer. "Once you're warmer, we can talk about what we need to do next."

Jensen closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of Jared's body all around him. He'd stopped shivering a while ago, but he was certain that if he left the safety of the bed to put on his borrowed clothing, he would grow cold again. Better to just stay here for a moment.

Some time later, he awoke with a start. "Jared?" he asked, disoriented. 

"I'm here." The prince sounded amused. "Did you enjoy your nap?"

"Wha—?" Jensen looked around. It was dark in the room except for a candle flickering on the table next to the bed, but it was warmer than before. He supposed the fireplace downstairs was in full glow, the heat from the chimney warming their small room above it. "I fell asleep."

"You did. You seemed warm enough that it wasn't the cold making you lose consciousness, and I decided you needed the rest."

"I probably did." He put a hand on Jared's chest, pleased to notice both were finally the same temperature. "Thank you."

"Of course." Jared hesitated for a moment and then went on, his voice a low rumble. "I have to confess, got up to light the candle so that I could watch you sleep."

A little thrill shot down Jensen's spine. "Why was that?"

"You looked so peaceful." Jared's hand came up to stroke Jensen's cheek. "You're always so watchful, so cautious. I know it's your job, and I appreciate it more than I can say, but it must wear on you."

"Nothing's more important than keeping you safe," Jensen replied quietly.

"Jensen." Jared's hand went still, his thumb just at the corner of Jensen's mouth. "I was so afraid for you today. When we returned and I saw you with that sword at your throat…my hands were shaking so I could barely draw the bow back."

"But you saved my life." He reached up to curl his fingers around Jared's, not for warmth this time. "You were brilliant."

"I couldn't lose you," Jared whispered, and then he was leaning forward and pressing his lips to Jensen's.

Somehow, it was only then that Jensen realized—of course—that they were both still naked. A long shudder passed over him, and he leaned up eagerly against Jared's mouth. 

But Jared was drawing back, concern in his voice. "Jensen, are you still cold?"

"That wasn't because of the cold." 

"Oh." Jared's voice took on a deeper tone. " _Oh_."

Then he was kissing Jensen again, far more confidently than before. For a moment, Jensen let himself lie there and be kissed, enjoying the heat of Jared's mouth against his. It was a little clumsy, but he guessed that the prince had little more experience than he did himself. 

They had managed to figure it out last night, and Jensen was suddenly extremely eager to find what else they could do. 

He trailed a hand down Jared's arm, feeling the firm muscle beneath the warm skin. Jared was reaching up to touch Jensen's face, and so Jensen let his hand keep moving, under Jared's arm and onto the broad expanse of his back. He leaned briefly into Jared's hand against his cheek before kissing him harder. 

Jared made a pleased murmur, and Jensen lightly traced the outline of Jared's lips with the tip of his tongue. He could feel Jared's cock twitch against his hip, and he smiled to himself. 

Then Jared threw a leg over both of Jensen's, bringing their groins together, and a low groan escaped Jensen's throat. 

Jared's hands were roaming over his back and side, and Jensen let himself fall into the sensation. He broke their kiss to trail his lips down Jared's neck, nipping and kissing and licking that broad expanse of skin.

Jared's hand trailed lower, lightly tracing patterns over Jensen's ass. It felt incredible to have his hand there, such a delicate touch over skin that was more sensitive than Jensen would have expected.

He returned the favor, blindly groping under the blankets until he had a handful of Jared's rear. The curve of it fit almost perfectly in his palm, and he firmly caressed it even as he continued to trail his mouth along Jared's neck. 

Jared gasped in response, arching back so that more of his neck was exposed and his dick was pressed up against Jensen's. The gasp turned into a moan, and then Jared was giving a tentative thrust of his hips.

Jensen murmured, "Mmm, that's good," against Jared's neck. He gripped Jared's ass more firmly and gave a thrust of his own. He couldn't see beneath the blankets, but he imagined that he was right in the groove of Jared's hip that he'd seen once or twice when his breeches were riding low and he was practicing swordfighting in the summer without a shirt. He closed his eyes and thrust again more slowly, enjoying the drag of skin against skin.

"Fuck," Jared whispered, and suddenly he was a blur of motion, rolling on top of Jensen and pinning him to the straw mattress. 

It took a moment to sort out their limbs under the covers without anything important getting squashed. But once they did, Jensen closed his eyes with the sheer pleasure of Jared's weight pressing down on him, his cock sliding right along the groove of Jensen's hip. His own cock was trapped against his stomach by Jared's warm weight, so that every time Jared gave a languid thrust of his hips, the friction raised the heat that was building inside of Jensen. 

He strained to reach down the length of Jared's back to palm his ass again and pull him closer. Jared murmured approvingly, ducking his head to lick and kiss along Jensen's neck.

Jensen arched back to give him more room, clutching at his shoulders with his other hand. He could feel the tide rising up inside of him already, and suddenly he wanted this to last. Last night had been so quick and unexpected, and from here on out…

He gently pushed at Jared's shoulders until he drew back. "What is it?" Jared asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you're perfect." Jensen cupped Jared's cheek in his hand and carefully steered him into a kiss. When their lips parted with a soft sound, he said, "I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring, but if we are going to see King Cortese, he has to see us as prince and guard. Nothing else. We can't be together once we leave this place."

There was no reply at first, and Jensen wished desperately that he could see his prince's face. Finally, Jared said in a low voice, "What are you saying?"

He carded his fingers through Jared's hair, enjoying its silken feel. "I'm saying this will have to last us a while. So we should go more slowly."

Jared lowered himself until he was pressed against Jensen's body from shoulders to feet. In a low voice that sent shivers down Jensen's spine, he asked, "What if we went quickly and then went again later?"

He punctuated his words with a thrust of his hips that had Jensen letting out a soft grunt. Gods, did that feel good. 

Jared was kissing his neck again, and when he took Jensen's earlobe into his mouth and began to lave it with his tongue, Jensen gave in. He spread his legs so that Jared was cradled between them, running his hands down Jared's back until he was caressing his ass, using the same light touch that Jared had done with him earlier.

Jared squirmed on top of him, and Jensen grinned. He thrust up against the warmth of Jared's body, letting his touches grow a little firmer. He arched his neck, and Jared obliged him, trailing his lips down from Jensen's ear until he had nearly reached his collarbone.

Jensen gasped at the light scrape of Jared's teeth in a particularly sensitive spot. Jared made an inquiring noise and did it again, and Jensen thrust upwards in response, this time holding more firmly to the perfect curve of Jared's ass. 

Jared's next sound was more like a low growl, and he braced himself on his spread knees before reaching between their bodies and taking them both in one strong hand. 

Jensen moaned in approval, lunging up to capture Jared's lips in a searing kiss. Their skin was getting sticky with sweat, and when he ran his fingers through the hair above the back of Jared's neck, it was damp. There was heat rising within him as well, as he braced his feet against the straw mattress and met Jared thrust for thrust into his hand.

Jared's mouth went still against Jensen's, tongue just barely brushing his lips. Jensen slipped his tongue past and thrust into Jared's mouth as he pressed up against him from shoulders to hips.

Jared's cry was stifled by Jensen's mouth, but the heat of his seed on Jensen's stomach was unmistakable. His grip around Jensen was slicker now, and Jensen thrust frantically against him, chasing that same rising tide as before, panting into Jared's mouth.

When he came, he gripped Jared's hair so tightly it must have hurt. But Jared kept kissing him, long and slow and deep, working him through the deep wave of pleasure until he was too sensitive and squirmed away.

Jared lay down half on top of him, head nestled beside Jensen's. "Worth waking up for?" he asked. 

"No complaints, my lord," Jensen murmured.

Jared snorted. He was gently stroking Jensen's chest, almost like he was exploring. It was a nice feeling, and Jensen closed his eyes and let him do as he willed. 

It was a little while later when Jared gave a soft sigh, his hand going still over Jensen's heart. Jensen's arm was around him, and he briefly stroked down the length of Jared's side before speaking. "Thank you," Jensen murmured. 

"Mmm, my pleasure," Jared replied in a sultry tone.

Jensen briefly smiled. "No, not for that," he said with a pat to Jared's side. "For earlier. For saving my life."

Jared rose up on one elbow, his brow furrowing. "You don't need to thank me for that, Jensen."

"Still. I told you to get yourself to safety, and you did. And then you came right back." He gazed up at Jared, at the way the candlelight highlighted the slope of his nose and the changing colors of his eyes. "And you shouldn't have. But I guess I'm glad you did."

"Don't ask me to leave you behind again," Jared said fiercely. "Don't ever ask that."

Jensen hesitated. He knew he might well have to ask that of Jared someday, and it pained him to think of it. But he'd been prepared to give his life to defend his prince today, and he would do it again if he had to. In the meantime, though, Jared needed reassurance. And that, he could give, too.

"I'll stay by your side, my prince," he finally said. "Always."

Jared's lips thinned as if he heard the real truth underneath the words. But he laid his head back down on Jensen's shoulder and went quiet.

Jensen knew they had a lot to think about, to talk and strategize and plan for the coming days. But for now, maybe a short rest would do them both good. He closed his eyes and let his hands come to rest on Jared's skin. Just a short rest, and then the world would resume.

Before Jensen knew it, it was morning.


End file.
